Automatic frame coupler

ABSTRACT

The coupler joins two chassis frames to form an elongated unit which can be transported by a tractor. The front end of each frame has a pin in each corner which extends outwardly from the front of the frame. The rear end of each frame has two apertures aligned with the pins for receiving the extending ends of the pins of a second frame which are automatically locked within the apertures to couple the one end of one frame to the other end of a second frame.

United States Patent Inventor Adam D. Swedl Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. Appl. No. 35,525 Filed May 7, 1970 Patented Oct. 12, 1971 Assignee Fruehauf Corporation Detroit, Mich.

AUTOMATIC FRAME COUPLER 7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 280/34 A, 85/5 CP, 213/78, 280/415 B Int. Cl 862d 21/12 Field of Search 280/415,

415 B, 34 A, 515;213/78,182,187, 204, 208; 287/2; 52/637; 85/5 CP [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 896,773 8/1908 Tessier 213/78 1,125,252 l/1915 Ballard 213/208 3,004,772 10/1961 Bohlen et a1.. 280/415 (.3) 3,102,738 9/1963 De R0shia.... 280/415 3,105,703 10/ 1 963 Rittenhouse 280/415 Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-John A. Pekar AttorneyHarness, Dickey & Pierce ABSTRACT: The coupler joins two chassis frames to form an elongated unit which can be transported by a tractor. The front end of each frame has a pin in each comer which extends outwardly from the front of the frame. The rear end of each frame has two apertures aligned with the pins for receiving the extending ends of the pins of a second frame which are automatically locked within the apertures to couple the one end of one frame to the other end of a second frame.

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AUTOMATIC FRAME COUPLER RELATED APPLICATIONS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to a coupling device for joining the front and rear chassis frames together in planar unit relation to each other. The front cross member of the frames has sleeves therethrough near the ends in which elongated cylindrical pins are insertable and secured in fixed position by spaced fingers extending from a yoke which passes through diametrically disposed vertically aligned notches in the pin and through transverse apertures provided through the sleeve wall. Additional pairs of notches may be provided in the pin to permit the opposite end to extend a greater distance from the front face of the frame. The rear cross members of the frames have cylindrical sleeves with bell ends secured near the ends of the cross members 'in alignment with the sleeves at the front end, the pins in which will extend thereinto when a front and rear cross member of a pair of frames are moved into abutted or substantially abutted relationship. Vertically spaced fingers of a yoke extend through the sleeves and into oppositely disposed notches provided on the top and bottom of the pin. The notches on the inserted end of the pin are wider than the other notches to make certain that the finger of the yoke will extendtherethrough when automatically securing the frames together.

To produce the automatic advancement of the yoke, a lever is pivoted to a central arm on the yoke and to a bracket located forwardly of the rear cross member and connected to a spring which pulls the operating end of the lever in a direction to advance the yoke and fingers in the opposite direction into locking position. By pulling on the extending end of the lever, the yoke is retracted moving its fingers from locking engagement with the connecting pin. During this retractive movement, a pivoted trigger located between the pivots of the lever and yoke moves upwardly so that when the pin is withdrawn a spring will urge the trigger into latched position with a plate secured adjacent to the bell end of the sleeve. The plate extending downwardly from the trigger over the inner end of the sleeve in position to be struck by the end of the pin after passing through the bell end and sleeve to trip the trigger at the time the front and rear cross members of the frame are closely adjacent to each other. The spring pulls the lever and advances the fingers of the yoke into the wider transverse recesses adjacent to the ends of the pin. In this manner, the front and rear frame are automatically locked into planar relation to each other by the pins locked within the adjacent front and rear cross members of the frames.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a broken plan view with parts in section, of joined rear and front cross members of a pair of chassis frames, embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged broken view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, as viewed within the circle thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the rear cross member of the frame separated from the front cross member of another frame;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 4-4 thereof; v

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken on the line 5-5 thereof;

FIG. 6 is a broken view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3, as viewed from line 6-6 thereof;

FIG. 7 is a broken view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, as viewed from the line 7--7 thereof, and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged broken view of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the cross member in spaced apart relation when the frames are secured together.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1, a front cross member 11 on a chassis frame 13 is disposed adjacent to a rear cross member 12 of a chassis frame 14 of like construction. The rear wheels employed on the chassis frames are shifted into tandem relation when the frames are connected together. Sleeves 15 extend through the cross member 11 located near each end thereof for supporting cylindrical pins 16 therein. The pins 16 have one or more diametrically disposed top and bottom transverse notches 17 at the rear end by which the pins are secured within the sleeves. A boss 18 is secured to the rear face of the cross member 11 having an aperture 19 aligned with that of the sleeve 15 through which the pin 16 extends. A pair of apertures 21 through the boss 18 receive a pair of fingers 22 of a yoke 23 which extend into the notches l7 aligned therewith for securing the pins 16 to the ends of the cross member 1 l. A web 24 which supports the fingers 22 has a centrally extending boss 25 containing an aperture 26 in which a looped end 27 of a cable 28 is secured. The boss 18 has a channel section 29 secured in extension thereof with a U-shaped member 31 thereon forming an eye for receiving a loop 32 on the opposite end of the cable 28. The cable extends through a ring 33 on the end of a pin 34 which passes through apertures 30 in the walls of the channel element 29 located rearwardly of the yoke to prevent the fingers 22 thereof from moving outwardly of the apertures 21. When the pin 34 and fingers 22 of the yoke 23 are removed from the apertures 30 and 21, respectively, the cable 28 retains them secured to the eye 31 to have them available for insertion in the apertures to secure the pin 16 within the sleeve 15.

The rear cross member 12 on the chassis frame 14 has a sleeve 35 secured at each end in alignment with the sleeves 15 on the front cross member. The outer end of the sleeve 35 has a bell end 36 for guiding a pointed end 37 of the pin 16 into centered relation with the sleeve 35. The sleeve 35 has a boss 38 containing an aperture 39 in which the fingers 22 of a yoke 23 extend to intercept diametrically disposed notches 41 on the extending end of the pins 16 which are wider than the notches 17 to assure the entrance of the fingers 22 therein when not exactly aligned on the center of the notches. The boss 25 of the yoke is connected to one end of a lever 42 by a bolt 43, as illustrated more specifically in FIG. 4. The lever is pivoted to a bracket 44 by a bolt 45. A spring 46 has one end connected to an aperture 47 in an extending end of the lever 42, the opposite end being secured in an eye 48 attached to a plate 49 on the cross member 12. The spring 46 urges the extending end of the lever 42 toward the plate 49 and the opposite end toward the sleeve 35 to advance the fingers 22 to within the notches 41 of the pin 16.

A trigger 51 is secured to the lever 42 by a bolt 52 located between the bolts 43 and 45. As illustrated in FIG. 4, a coil spring 53 is disposed about a bolt 54 on which the trigger 51 pivots. One arm 55 of the spring 53 is hooked over the lever 42 while the opposite arm 56 is secured to the rear edge of the trigger 51. The trigger is retained on the bolt 52 by a washer and nut 57 secured by a cotter pin 58. The trigger 51 has a target 59 extending downwardly therefrom aligned with the inner end of the sleeve 35 in position to be engaged by the end 37 of the pin 16 as it is advanced through the sleeve 35. When the extending end 40 of the lever 42 is pulled outwardly, the fingers 22 of the yoke 23 are moved inwardly out of the notches 41 of the pin 16 permitting the separation of the chassis frames 13 and 14. The spring 53 urges the trigger 51 toward the yoke 23 in position to engage a stop plate 61 located adjacent to the inner end of the sleeve 35 upon which it will rest upon the releasing of the lever, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

When the chassis frames 13 and 14 are to be coupled together, the pins 16 will pass through the sleeves 35 until the ends 37 engage the targets 59 and move the triggers 51 from the plates 61. This permits the springs 46 to move the levers 42 to advance the fingers 22 of the yokes 23 inwardly through the sleeves 35 into the notches 41 to thereby automatically lock the pins 16 within the sleeves 35 and the two frames 13 and 14 in fixed relation to each other. When in this position, a pin 62 is passed through an aperture in the extending end 40 of each lever 42 and the bracket 44 to prevent the accidental release of the lever. Each pin 62 has a ring 63 thereon secured in a loop at one end of a cable 64 which has a loop at the other end secured in an eye 65 on the bracket 44 to prevent the pin from being lost when removed from the apertures. Upwardly presenting members 66 at the ends of the cross members 11 and 12 have twist locks 67 thereon which releasably secures the bottom comers of a container to the chassis frames.

I claim:

1. ln a pair of connectable frames each of which have side members joined by front and rear cross members, a cylindrical pin supported by the front cross members near each end thereof, the forward extending end of the pins have a pair of oppositely disposed transverse notches therein, sleeves adjacent the ends of the rear cross member aligned with the extending end of the pins which are insertable horizontally into similar sleeves of a second frame, the sleeve of said rear cross member having apertures for receiving a pair of horizontally disposed fingers of a yoke with the fingers aligned with the notches at the forward end of the pin for locking the pins within the sleeves when inserted thereinto, a pair of levers pivoted to the frame interjacent their ends forwardly of the rear cross member having one end pivotally connected to said yokes, an actuating spring connecting the opposite end of the levers to said frame, and latch means for securing the lever in spring stressed position which when released advances the fingers of the yokes into the pin notches for securing the first and second frames together as a unit.

2. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 1, wherein said latch means on said levers engage supporting means on the frame after the fingers have been withdrawn from the sleeves by the movement of the levers to stress the springs.

3. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 2, wherein a target is carried by said latch means to be located over the inner end of the sleeves in position to be struck by the end of the pins when the pins are inserted therewithin.

4. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 3, wherein securing means is provided for positively retaining the levers in the position in which the fingers of the yokes intercept the notches in the pins.

5. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the levers must have the securing means released and be manually moved to withdraw the fingers from the pin notches to permit the pins to be withdrawn.

6. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 5, wherein the latch means is pivoted to the lever, and spring means urges said latch means to engage said support and retain the lever against movement by the actuating spring attached thereto.

7. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 6, wherein the target disposed in extension of said latch means when moved by the end of the pins pivots the latch means from said supports to permit the actuating springs to move the levers to advance the fingers into the notches of the pins. 

1. In a pair of connectable frames each of which have side members joined by front and rear cross members, a cylindrical pin supported by the front cross members near each end thereof, the forward extending end of the pins have a pair of oppositely disposed transverse notches therein, sleeves adjacent the ends of the rear cross member aligned with the extending end of the pins which are insertable horizontally into similar sleeves of a second frame, the sleeve of said rear cross member having apertures for receiving a pair of horizontally disposed fingers of a yoke with the fingers aligned with the notches at the forward end of the pin for locking the pins within the sleeves when inserted thereinto, a pair of levers pivoted to the frame interjacent their ends forwardly of the rear cross member having one end pivotally connected to said yokes, an actuating spring connecting the opposite end of the levers to said frame, and latch means for securing the lever in spring stressed position which when released advances the fingers of the yokes into the pin notches for securing the first and second frames together as a unit.
 2. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 1, wherein said latch means on said levers engage supporting means on the frame after the fingers have been withdrawn from the sleeves by the movement of the levers to stress the springs.
 3. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 2, wherein a target is carried by said latch means to be located over the inner end of the sleeves in position to be struck by the end of the pins when the pins are inserted therewithin.
 4. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 3, wherein securing means is provided for positively retaining the levers in the position in which the fingers of the yokes intercept the notches in the pins.
 5. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the levers must have the securing means released and be manually moved to withdraw the fingers from the pin notches to permit the pins to be withdrawn.
 6. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 5, wherein the latch means is pivoted to the lever, and spring means urges said latch means to engage said support and retain the lever against movement by the actuating spring attached thereto.
 7. In a pair of connectable frames as recited in claim 6, wherein the target disposed in extension of said latch means when moved by the end of the pins pivots the latch means from said supports to permit the actuating springs to move the levers to advance the fingers into the notches of the pins. 